The New York Times: A Cycle of Killing on a Border in Kashmir

Indian soldiers based along the de facto border with Pakistan, in Kashmir, report grisly murders of their fellow soldiers, including beheadings and mutilations. Tensions run high along the border area known as the Line of control. Some accuse the government of an inadequate response, including resistance to returning victims’ remains – possibly an effort not to publicize the brutalities. Families view the acts as war crimes and demand investigations. The region has seen a cycle of violence: an Indian soldier is found beheaded, after which the Indian army retaliates. “Since the beheadings on May 1, that stretch of the Line of Control has been hit by heavy shelling, and thousands of civilians have been evacuated from surrounding villages,” reports the New York Times. The Pakistani army denies involvement in these beheadings. The conflict along the border has been ongoing for decades, with no solution in sight, and violence has become routine. The soldiers’ hope for dignity in their burials and in the way the army treats their families. BBC News explains that “The Himalayan region of Kashmir has been a flashpoint between India and Pakistan for over six decades.” – YaleGlobal